Means for smoothing sleeved articles on pressing tables and the like



' July 29, 1941. F. A. WIEGMAN 2,251,091

MEANS FOR SMOOTHING SLEEVED ARTICLES 0N PRESSING TABLES AND THE LIKEFiled March 7, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

- FLOYD A WIEGMAN 252E522 ATTORNEYS.

July 29, 1941.

F. A. WIEGMAN- MEANS FOR SMOOTHING SLEEVED ARTICLES ON PRESSING TABLESAND THE LIKE v Filed March 7, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

FLOYD' A. WIEGMAN A TTORN S.

Patented July 29, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFI MEANS FOR SMOOTHINGSLEEVED AR- TIOLES N PRESSING TABLES AND THE LIKE Floyd A. Wiegman,Chicago, Ill.,' assignor to The Prosperity Company, Inc., Syracuse, N.Y., a

corporation of New York Application March 7, 1939, Serial No. 260,351!(on. 33-12) 18 Claims.

This invention relates to' a means for smoothup the slack in thearticle, as, and after, the

article is sleeved on the table or pressing element. The tubulararticles may be the sleeves of shirts or other articles, such as trouserlegs, etc.

The invention further has for its object means as a clamp for holdingone end of the sleeved article on the face of the pressing element topermit manual longitudinal stretching of that portion of the sleevedarticle overlying the pressing element to be pressed, after the slack istaken up in lateral directions automatically by the said means duringand after the sleeving of the article on the pressing element or table.

It further has for its object a means for this purpose consisting of amember including a series of independently movable units of inherentcharacteristlcs arranged so as to uniformly and automatically conform tothe inner surface of the article and to bear on the inner face of thelower portion of the article hanging under the table or pressing elementand thereby smooth the article on the face of the pressing element.-

A further object of the invention is the provision of means tosimultaneously and automatically take up slack in the tubular articlebelow the pressing surface and smooth a portion of the same on thepressing surface without manual operation and/or attention, yetpermitting the article to be turned or rotated about the pressingsurface without removing the same from the latter to present a newsurface to be pressed while the said means, without manual operationand/or attention due to its inherent characteristics continues duringsuch rotating of the article about the pressing surface toautomatically, in the ab sence of manual attention and/or operation, tosimultaneously exert pressure to take upthe slack below the pressingsurface and smoothing of that portion ofthe article overlyin thepressing surface.

Further, it is an object of this invention to provide a new and improvedmethod of smoothing sleeved tubular articles on pressing tables and theconsequent complete pressure ironing of said articles thereon.

Another object of the invention resides in the method of completelypressure ironing including sleeving of the article on the pressingsurface;

effecting simultaneous slack take-up of said article below the pressingsurface and smoothing of that portion of the article overlying thepressing surface; the necessary manual rotating movements of the articleby an operator about or on the pressing surface to present new surfacesto be pressed without removing the article therefrom, and without anymanual operation except rotating of the article by the operator, andsimultaneously with such rotating operation of the article effectingcontinuous slack take-up of the article below the pressing surfaceandsmoothing of that portion of the article overlying the pressingsurface.

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations andconstructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanyingdrawings in which like characters designate corresponding parts in allthe views.

Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a front elevation and a side elevationof a pressing machine embodying my invention.

Figure 3 is an enlarged elevation of the lower pressing element or tableof a pressing machine provided with this invention, showing a shirt withthe sleeve sleeved over the pressing element.

Figure. 4 is a fragmentary view similar to Figure 3 and partly insection, showing slightly different embodiment of the invention.

I designates the pressing table, which in pressing machines is the lowerpressing element or buck with which coacts a movable pressing element orhead 2. The pressingtable or lower pressing element. l is supported fromone end thereof from the frame 3 of the machine by a bolster orso-called goose neck 4, so that the greater portion of the table' orpressing element I overhan s for permitting an article to be sleevedbodiment of the invention, comprises a member the axis 29. Thehead-carrying lever is actuated in any well known manner.

In operation, when the press is open, that is, when the press-head isup, and also when ,the clamp 21 is in its open or upper position,indicated in broken lines (Figure 2), the operator sleeves the articleon the pressing element or 5 designates the member flexibly suspended atits ends beneath opposite ends of the table, the

member 5 being flexible throughout its length and consisting ofconnected links 6 comprising a chain, which is secured 'at -'I and-8beneath the table or pressing element I near opposite ends thereof, andwhich normally hangs slack. The individual links of the chain constitutea. series of independently movable units arranged to rest on the innerface of the lower portion of the article sleeved on the table and drawthe same fairly taut over the table or pressing element I and take upthe slack in the portions ofsaid article overhanging the table orpressing element I. Obviously, when the sleeve is sleeved over the tableI, the flexible chain 5 will press, by its weight, on the lower portionof the sleeve, and the individual links apply the weight so that theweight of the chain is evenly distributed throughout the overhangingsides of, the article.

In' Figure 4, the flexible member is designated 9 and consists of astrand secured at II and II beneath opposite ends to the underside ofthe table or pressing'element I and a plurality of weights I2, hereshown as perforated balls, strung on the strand 9. These balls are alsoindividual units similar to the links 6 of the chain.

In any form of the invention, a member for taking up the slack in theoverhanging sides of an article sleeved on a table or pressing elementand for drawing it smooth over the face of said table or element isflexibly suspended at its ends beneath the opposite ends of the table orpressingelem'ent I and is capable of a free vertical movement to conformto the interior contour or the taper of the sleeved article. 1

The pressing machine is preferably provided with a clamp 21 for coactingwith one end of the sleeved article. The clamp is particularly adaptedfor shirt sleeves and to clamp the cuff, which usually has beenpreviously ironed, to the outer end of the pressing element I, so thatafter the sleeve is sleeved over the pressing element and the clampapplied, the operator can pull the sleeve and stretch and smooth it in alengthwise direction on the pressing element. The chain 5 or member 9,in applying their weight to the inner surface of the overhanging portionof the article, smooth the article in a lateral direction relative tothe table I. The clamp 21 is embodied in the machine in any suitablemanner, it being here shown as carried by one arm of a lever 28pivotally mounted at 29 to an upwardly extending arm 30 on the frame 3of the machine, and is actuated into operative position by a pedal lever3| pivoted at 32 to the base of the machine and connected by a link 33to one arm of a lever 3t pivoted between its ends at 35 to the frame ofthe machine and connected at its other end by a link 36 to an arm 31 onthe lever 28 and extending beyond the pivot 29. The movement of thepedal is against the action of a suitable returning spring 38. Q

Thepress head 2 of the machine is carried by a suitable lever or yoke 39pivoted to said upstanding arm 30 on an axis coincident with buck I, andthen depresses the pedal lever 3| to bring the clamp 21 down on the endof the article, this being the cuff of a shirt sleeve. The operator thenstretches the sleeve lengthwise of the pressing element or buck I bypulling the sleeve from the shoulder end against or away from the clamp.As the sleeve is sleeved on the pressing element or buck I and after itis laid on the element or table I, the flexible member 5 or 9 of thisinvention automatically takes up the slack in a lateral direction andsmooths the sleeve or the portion thereof lying on the pressing face ofthe elment or buck I. After one lengthwise portion of the sleeve hasbeen pressed, the press and clamp are opened, the sleeve is shiftedaround the pressing element to bring another portion of the pressingface, and the operation repeated.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a pressing table supported at one end so thatthe greater portion of the table overhangs for permitting an article tobe ironed to be sleeved over said table, and means located beneath theoverhanging portion of the table for entering the article when beingsleeved thereon and conforming to said article to take up the slack inthe portion of the article han ing from the table and to smooth theportion on the table, said means comprising a flexible member suspendedat its ends from opposite ends of the table on the under side thereofand a series of weights strung on said member along the length thereof.

2. The combination with a pressing table supported at one end so thatthe greater portion of the table overhangs for permitting an article tobe ironed to be sleeved over the table, means located beneath theoverhanging portion of the table for entering the article while thearticle is sleeved thereon and extending entirely therethrough andautomatically taking up the slack in lateral directions in said article,said means comprising a flexible member suspended at its ends beneaththe table and a series of weights strung on said member along the lengththereof, and means for holding the portion of the article on the tableat one end thereof for permitting strgtching of the article while beingheld at one en '3. The combination with a pressing table adapted toreceive a tubular article, and flexible gravity actuated chain articleslack take-up means substantially coextensive with the underside of thepressing table, said means extending entirely through and engaging aninterior portion of the tubular article below the table andautomatically adapting itself to the engaged inat one end thereof forpermitting stretching of the article while being held at said end.

6. The subject matter of claim 4, including a movable pressing head forcooperation with the pressing table.

7. The subject matter of claim-4, wherein the said means is a gravityactuated chain.

8. The subject matter of claim 4, wherein the said means is a gravityactuated chain attached at each end thereof adjacent opposite ends ofthe underside of the pressing table andhanging loosely intermediate itsends therebelow.

9. The combination with a pressing table supported at one end so thatthe greater portion of the table overhangs for permitting an article tobe ironed to be sleeved over the table, and movable flexible gravityactuated means located beneath the table for entering the article whenbeing sleeved thereon and conforming to said article to automaticallytake up the slack in the portion of the article hanging from the tableand to simultaneously smooth the portion on the table without manualoperation of said means, and permitting rotation of the article on thetable to present another portion of the article to be ironed, withoutmanual operation of said means or removing the article from the table,and permitting removal of the article from the table without manualoperation of said means.

10. The subject matter of claim 9, and clamping means for holding aportion of the article on the table at one end thereof for permittingstretching of the article while being held at said end.

11. The subject matter of claim 9, including a movable pressing head forcooperation with the pressing table.

12. The subject matter of claim 9, wherein the said means is a gravityactuated chain.

13. The subject matter of claim 9, wherein the said means is a gravityactuated chain attached at each end thereof adjacent opposite ends ofthe underside of the table and hanging loosely I intermediate its endstherebelow.

14. The combination with a. pressing table sup-- ported at one end 'sothat the greater portion thereof overhangs for permitting an article tobe ironed to be sleeved over the table, and flexible gravity actuatedchain article slack take-up means located beneath the table for enteringthe article when being sleeved thereon and conforming to the saidarticle to automatically take up the slack in the portion ofthe articlehanging from the table and to simultaneously smooth the portion on thetable without manual operation of said means and permitting rotation ofthe article on the'table to present another portion to be ironed withoutmanual operation of said means or-removing the article from the table,and permitting removal of the article from the table without manualoperation of said means.

15. The subject matter of claim 14, and means for holding a portion ofthe article on the table at one end thereof for permitting stretching ofthe article while being so held.

16. The subject matter of claim 14, including a movable pressing headfor cooperation with the pressing table.

17. The subject matter of claim 14, wherein said chain is'attached ateach end thereof be neath opposite ends of the table and hangs looselyin loop formation intermediate its attached ends.

18. The combination with.- a pressing table supported at one end so thatthe greater portion thereof overhangs for permitting an article to beironed to be sleeved over the table, and flexible gravity actuated chainarticle slack take-up means located beneath the table and conforming tothe said article to automatically take up the slack in the portion ofthe article hanging from the table and to simultaneously smooth theportion on the table without manual operation of said means andpermitting rotation of the article on the table to present anotherportion to be ironed, without manual operation of said means or removingthe article from the table and permitting removal of the article fromthe table without manual operation of said means.

FLOYD A. WIEGMAN.

